London Luton Airport to Oxford (Gloucester Green)
Oxford is about 85 km west of Luton Airport. National Express coach 737 runs direct to Gloucester Green eight times a day in about 1 hour 55 minutes, from £20.20. A private car costs roughly £120–£175.
There is no railway between Luton and Oxford. One National Express coach does the cross-country trip instead: the 737 leaves the airport bus station eight times a day, runs past Milton Keynes and ends at Gloucester Green, a few minutes' walk from Broad Street and the colleges. The timetable is sparse, so check it against your flight before you book.
How far is Oxford (Gloucester Green) from London Luton Airport?
Oxford (Gloucester Green) is 85 km (53 miles) from London Luton Airport by road, about 1h 55m by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 63 km. By public transport, National Express 737 takes about 1h 55m and costs £20.2.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: National Express 737 is the cheapest way at £20.2 (1h 55m, with no change). A taxi from £120 saves roughly 30 min and takes you to the door. Timetable: Mon–Fri 02:50, 08:50, 11:05, 13:20, 15:50, 19:05, 21:20, 23:50 · Sat–Sun same but 18:50 instead of 19:05.
What it costs for your group
The bus / shuttle is charged per person, while a taxi is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Bus / shuttle (per person) | Taxi (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | £20 | £120 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | £40 | £120 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | £81 | £120 | Bus / shuttle |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | National Express 737 | From £20.2, about 1h 55m, no change needed. |
| Speed | Private transfer | 1h 25m and door-to-door, from £163. |
| A group of 4 | National Express 737 | Four tickets still come to about £80.8 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | National Express 737 stops overnight — timetable: Mon–Fri 02:50, 08:50, 11:05, 13:20, 15:50, 19:05, 21:20, 23:50 · Sat–Sun same but 18:50 instead of 19:05. |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
Direct to Oxford Gloucester Green via Luton Interchange and Milton Keynes Coachway. 1 h 55 min to about 2 h 10 min. From £20.20 including £1.50 fee.
Where to catch it: Airport bus station, stands N, P or Q
Times: Mon–Fri 02:50, 08:50, 11:05, 13:20, 15:50, 19:05, 21:20, 23:50 · Sat–Sun same but 18:50 instead of 19:05
Best for solo & budget travellersPrivate transfer
Saloon about £163, executive about £213, for up to 4 passengers. Child seats and estate cars on request.
Where to catch it: Terminal Arrivals. Confirm whether the quote covers the pick-up zone fee.
Times: 24/7
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsTaxi
Oxford Brookes gives an average of about £120 from Luton Airport. Rank cabs are metered with no published fare to Oxford, so agree a price before leaving.
Where to catch it: Taxi rank beyond bus bay A, or a pre-booked local firm
Times: 24/7
Best for small groups in a hurryOxford (Gloucester Green) & London in photos
Buying tickets in London
Luton DART: buy a single at lutondart.com and keep it as a mobile wallet pass or PDF, or tap a contactless card at the barriers. Oyster cards are not accepted. An adult single is £4.90, a child (5–15) £2.45, and under-5s ride free. If you buy a National Rail ticket to or from Luton Airport with Thameslink, East Midlands Railway or Luton Airport Express, the DART is already included. A ticket to Luton Airport Parkway does not include it.
Trains: Advance fares from Luton Airport Parkway start at £6.50 on Thameslink and £10 on the Luton Airport Express, before the DART is added. Advance tickets tie you to one train. For a flight that could be delayed, an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket is the safer choice. Thameslink offers a third off for groups of 3 to 9 adults.
Coaches: book National Express at nationalexpress.com or in its app. The £1.50 booking fee is waived if you are logged in to My Account. Greenline 757 tickets are sold at the airport and London Victoria sales desks, online, or from the driver. Both operators sell tickets at the Onward Travel Centre just past Arrivals. Local Arriva and Stagecoach buses take contactless payment, and single fares are as low as £3.
Taxi scams & safety in London
Official taxis: the only rank is the one marked just beyond bus bay A, outside the terminal. The vehicles are Luton Borough Council-licensed hackney carriages on a meter. Before you set off on a long run, ask the driver for an estimate, because no fixed fare to London is published. Turn down anyone who offers a ride inside the terminal. Licensed private-hire cars cannot pick up unless you have booked them.
Pre-booked cars and lifts: the forecourt Drop Off and Pick Up Zone costs £7 for 10 minutes and then £1 a minute. Drivers usually pass this charge on, so ask whether your quote includes it. The free alternative is the Long Stay car park, which a free 24-hour shuttle bus links to the terminal about every 20 minutes.
Ticket traps: buying a train ticket from "Luton Airport Parkway" instead of "Luton Airport" leaves you £4.90 short at the DART barrier. Advance train and coach fares only cover the booked departure. On National Express Standard fares you can switch to a similar coach within 3 hours either side of your booked time.
Step-free access in London
The Luton DART is fully accessible and step-free between Luton Airport Parkway and the terminal entrance. Disability badge holders and older person's bus pass holders ride the DART free, but they must register first on the Luton DART concessions page and upload proof. Approval can take up to 72 hours.
- If you book assistance through your airline, the DART team will help with the connection between terminal and station.
- For help on the train, contact the Luton Airport Express (East Midlands Railway) or Thameslink assisted-travel teams directly.
- Scheduled coaches stop right outside the terminal, and all bus stops are 50–100 metres from the entrance. Check with the coach or bus operator that your service is accessible.
Getting from LTN to Oxford (Gloucester Green)
A journey without a railway
No train runs directly from Luton to Oxford. To get from Luton Airport to Oxford you can take the coach or go by road. The coach is the National Express 737. It starts at Stansted, calls at Luton Airport, then crosses Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire to Oxford's bus station at Gloucester Green.
The 737 timetable
The timetable valid from 21 October 2026 shows eight departures a day from the airport bus station (stands N, P or Q):
- Monday–Friday: 02:50, 08:50, 11:05, 13:20, 15:50, 19:05, 21:20, 23:50
- Saturday–Sunday: the same, except 18:50 instead of 19:05
The coach calls at Luton Interchange, Luton (Challney) and Milton Keynes Coachway, then runs non-stop to Oxford. The 02:50 reaches Gloucester Green at 04:45, which is the fastest timing at 1 hour 55 minutes. Daytime runs take closer to 2 hours 10 minutes, and the 23:50 arrives at 01:50. National Express quotes fares from £20.20 one way. The small print says that price includes a £1.50 booking fee, which you don't pay if you are logged in. Luggage rules are the standard National Express ones: one big case per person plus hand luggage.
Matching it to your flight
With gaps of up to six hours (02:50 to 08:50), the 737 can mean a long wait at Luton. An arrival at 05:30 means waiting until 08:50. A standard ticket gives you three hours either side of the booked time on a similar coach. If your flight is late, that usually lets you take the next departure without paying again.
If you miss the coach: train via London
Rail is possible but roundabout. Take the DART and a train to St Pancras, cross London to Paddington (the Elizabeth line from Farringdon helps), then catch a Great Western Railway train to Oxford. In practice it takes well over two hours with two changes and costs considerably more than the coach. It is still worth knowing about when the next 737 is hours away.
A car for the cross-country run
One fixed-price transfer firm quotes about £163 for a saloon from Luton to Oxford. Smaller local operators are sometimes cheaper, and an Oxford Brookes guide gives an average of about £120. If you need child seats or have a family's luggage, ask for them when you book, because a pre-booked car can supply them and a rank taxi cannot. The road route uses the M1, A421 and the Oxford ring road. Off-peak it takes about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, and longer on Friday evenings.
The metered rank cabs outside the terminal are licensed for long journeys, but no fare is published and the meter keeps running in traffic. On a trip of this length, agree a fixed price in advance.
Arriving at Gloucester Green
Gloucester Green is a small open bus station on the west side of the centre. Broad Street, the Ashmolean and the Westgate Centre are all within about five minutes' walk. Oxford railway station is further west, about ten minutes on foot. Taxis wait at the St Giles rank and outside the station.
Practical notes
- Book ahead if you can. National Express prices vary by date and departure, and the advertised fare from £20.20 is the lowest available, not a guaranteed price.
- Milton Keynes Coachway is the only stop between Luton and Oxford, so the 737 does not serve towns such as Bicester or Aylesbury.
- Late arrivals: the 23:50 is the last coach of the day, and the next one leaves at 02:50.
Gloucester Green to the terminal
Towards the airport, the 737 leaves Gloucester Green on weekdays at 00:50, 04:05, 06:05, 08:00, 11:40, 13:45, 16:25 and 18:50. Most weekend times are similar, though some shift by up to 30 minutes. Arrivals at Luton Airport are about two hours later. The 04:05 arrives at 06:00, and the 00:50 arrives at 02:45, in time for the first wave of departures. The coach goes straight to the airport bus station, so you don't need the DART. The airport recommends arriving two to three hours before your flight, which on this timetable often means catching the coach before the one that looks right.
LTN to Oxford (Gloucester Green) — FAQ
How far is Luton Airport from Oxford?
Is there a direct bus from Luton Airport to Oxford?
What is the cheapest way?
What is the fastest way?
How much is a taxi from Luton Airport to Oxford?
When is the last coach to Oxford?
I land at 01:00. Can I still get to Oxford?
Can I get to Oxford (Gloucester Green) by public transport late at night?
Sources
Fares and times on this page were last held against their official sources on 21 October 2026. Operators change prices without notice — if you spot a difference, the operator’s own page is the authority. How we check fares.
- National Express 737 timetable Stansted–Luton Airport–Oxford (valid 21 Oct 2026) · checked 2026-10-21
- National Express – Luton Airport to Oxford · checked 2026-10-21
- London Luton Airport – countrywide coach links (National Express services and bays) · checked 2026-10-21
- British Airport Transfers – Luton Airport to Oxford taxi price · checked 2026-10-21
- Oxford Brookes University – Getting to Oxford (average taxi fares) · checked 2026-10-21
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